The inspector and the sea

Season 1

Based on the international best-selling crime novels by Mari Jungstedt, the blockbuster German crime series, The Inspector and the Sea, is set on the idyllic Swedish island of Gotland. Laid-back German police inspector Robert Anders has the job of solving crimes on Gotland, but he's a man out of his element: living on an island, and afraid of the sea. It's a phobia he'll have to conquer if he's to delve beneath the pleasant surface of the medieval town of Visby. Behind the facade of its brightly colored houses lurk criminals of all stripes: con men, extortionists, kidnappers and serial killers. They move among the residents and the summertime tourists who vacation in cottages that line the beaches. Robert's investigative team includes his loyal deputy Karin Jacobsson, the charming, capable Thomas Wittberg, and Ewa, a sardonic pathologist. Together, they discover that seemingly innocuous local characters conceal secrets; everyone has something they're hiding and nothing is as it appears on the surface. The resort town of Visby may present the picture of innocence, but it provides plenty of work for a criminal inspector. --Container.

Well done. Only came across a little odd to me with German language in a Swedish location. Refreshing in that although one is watching a series about murder, the plots and scenes didn't seem as gruesomely portrayed as in some Swedish crime series.

xaipe
Jan 04, 2016

This series is an odd sort of hybrid based on the novels of Mari Jungstedt who is a best-selling crime novelist in Germany. It's set on the Swedish island of Gotland just off the eastern coast of mainland Sweden. The first clang of discord for me was hearing the Inspector and everyone else on the Swedish island of Gotland speak German when I was expecting at least a smattering of Swedish beyond the frequent sights of Swedish flags. The handsome inspector is so laid back that he sometimes seems to be barely conscious. After watching the first series, I think that the biggest problem lies with the script which is wooden, and lacking in much attempt at character development. Another problem is the suspension of belief with the large number of violent murders on such a small, peaceable island. My best guess is that this is a German attempt to jump on the bandwagon of Swedish crime series' great popularity. Filmed during Midsummer season, at least the scenery is delightful although the Midsummer celebrants seemed about to break into a Schuhplattler dance at any moment. All I can say is that the Swedish do it much, much better.